Uh Oh, Patio
by MotatoPotato
Summary: SJ. Vignette 8. Uh...Carter?


**Title: **Uh Oh, Patio

**Author: **MotatoPotato

**Spoilers: **None

**Season: ** 10

**Warnings: **SJ Ship. Companion to _'Ain't No Sunshine.' _ Some language, some sexual content.

**Disclaimer: **Not mine. Sadly. I only twist what is there.

**Notes: **This is the eighth in a series of vignettes. Thanks for all the reviews so far!

**Please tell me what you think...it's how I improve. Enjoy! **

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The only thing keeping Jack from pointing his truck homewards, away from the business meet 'n greet at an oh-so-fancified fancy restaurant, was the fact that Sam would be there.

Oh, and his misguided sense of duty. Damn, he wished his conscience was removable sometimes.

No conscience equaled beer and hockey. And that's not to forget the highly enjoyable Sam-centric blissfully nekkid shenanigans on the couch…the counter…the floor…against the wall…

Mhmmmm...naked Sam Carter…

Jack shook his head quickly trying to derail that train. He did have to appear in public after all. He groaned and scrubbed a hand down his face.

He hadn't seen her in six weeks. Six of the longest weeks _ever_. He couldn't even talk to her since she had been offworld. So yesterday when he'd gotten a transmission from her telling her she'd be here tonight, he'd been overjoyed. Until he remembered this dinner. He'd sent a communication explaining the situation; she'd simply left a voicemail telling him she'd meet him there.

Yeah. Damned luckiest guy in the galaxy. He wistfully handed his keys to the valet. He eyed the door with suspicion as he tugged his jacket and entered, shoulders squared. He tended to think of these meetings as a battle. It helped him map out tactics and almost always helped control the direction of things before the other guy knew what hit him.

Ha-ha.

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Sam was listening politely to Mrs. Sandy Lanthrip's monologue regarding her two poor little boys, struck down before their time with -horrors of all horrors- the common cold. Senator Tom Lanthrip looked bored and threw back another whiskey.

//Yep. Jack will love this.//

Sam was usually one more likely to give uncomfortable situations a fair chance. But this woman was tedious. Sandy kept jabbing implied insults at Sam under guise of compliments. "Oh, dear, your hair is so lovely! You must tell me the name of that shade!"

Damn Sam hated that. Her smile remained fixed despite her internal annoyance.

Just as Jack hated the politics and practices often employed in DC, so did Sam. The difference was her ability to hide her disdain was a little better. Then again Jack only tried when he felt like it was absolutely necessary. She envied his ability to assess the situation, weed out the bullshit, and just be real.

That unconventional quality threw a lot of the suits for a loop. He didn't play by the rules they did. Most of them either hated or liked him for it, with no middle ground. She had the urge to roll her eyes as she caught the Senator's gaze raking over her absently.

Politicians, for the most part, made her skin crawl. Jack was right when he complained that they (even though he was technically one of the 'they') were worse than the Goa'uld.

She continued to nod and hum sympathetically at the appropriate times.

The tension in her body began to ease noticeably; she knew without turning that Jack was striding towards them. She smiled to herself imagining the deepening lines of the cocky, welcoming smirk he would aim at her. Her heart lifted happily. Six weeks was far too long.

No doubt about it. She was a Jack-aholic. She absently wondered if there was such a rehab program. The smile grew as that thought was followed by another. //I'd rather die happily than get that out of my system!//

It was on that note that Jack reached the table.

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Mrs. Lanthrip watched with an affected pleasantness as Jack gently touched his wife's shoulder, leaning in for a kiss before reaching for the Senator's hand. "Tom."

He received a nod in return. "Jack."

"I see you've met my wife, Sam."

Mrs. Lanthrip gushed, a bit too enthusiastically. "Oh yes. She is just the sweetest little thing!"

Sam choked back a laugh. Sandy was so flirting. She snuck a look at Jack who was doing an admirable job pretending not to be amused by his ass kicking wife being called 'the sweetest little thing'.

He subtly shifted his chair closer to Sam's and began tracing patterns into her knee. They continued to exchange small talk and ordered their ridiculously overpriced mouthfuls. Jack managed to keep his hand warmly on Sam's leg which was slowly migrating north.

She was having a hard time listing to Mrs. Lanthrip talking about the latest recipe she had tried. "Oh Sam, dear, you must try it. I realize you may be away from home too much to cook for Jack but it really is worth the effort."

Jack hearing the comment really wished he could poke Sam in the ribs. He settled for squeezing her thigh and watching her lips twitch slightly.

It was Sam who spoke first. "Actually, Mrs. Lanthrip, we live on saltines and peanut butter." She looked at Sandy thoughtfully. "Although we do throw the occasional tube of cookie dough in the mix. But thank you so much for the offer."

She heard a duet of choked coughs coming from the other half of the table. Sandy Lanthrip looked shocked and decidedly un-amused. Turning to Jack she simpered "Oh, you poor thing! How do you live?"

Jack looked at her and deadpanned "Actually Sam tried to get me to eat her fancy soufflé nonsense, but I squashed that real quick. Crackers or nothin, I always say."

Sam looked up to catch Tom throw an admiring glance at Jack. She categorized him in 'liked Jack' category, saving himself from the dark side.

Sandy just looked a bit thrown. Tom was trying to look anywhere but his wife. Then their food arrived and the conversation was sparse, although Jack looked absolutely hilarious when he gave his plate a dirty glare. Sam did have to admit the portions were only just big enough to see with the naked eye.

Naked.

Mhmmmm…naked Jack O'Neill…

Sam sighed, earning her a sideways glance from the man himself. Flushing a deep pink, to Jack's amusement, she knew that he understood exactly what she was thinking. He shot her a blazing glance while she helplessly shivered at the intensity of those expressive eyes.

Damn, the things she did for this guy.

Damn, the things he'd do to her.

It was all she could do not to drag him under the table. She groaned silently.

D'oh.

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After they were finished Tom stood. "Ladies, if you don't mind Jack and I might go to the bar and talk business for awhile." Jack looked atSam with his liquid brown stare, asking if it was okay. She nodded suppressing a sigh.

He looked over his shoulder sympathetically. She shot him a smile and turned to Sandy. They sat in silence for awhile, finishing their deserts and ordering drinks.

"So how long have you been married to Tom?"

Sandy smiled. "We've been married ten years now." She sipped her wine delicately. "I worked for him; that's how we met." She sent Sam a disapproving look. "Of course I gave that right up when we married."

"Of course," Sam muttered under her breath.

"Samantha, dear, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"

Sam looked at her warily. "You may certainly ask," She said sweetly, really not liking the look in Sandy's eye.

"You're the General's second wife, right?"

Sam nodded slowly. "Yes…"

Sandy's lips curved slightly. "Can you clear something up for me?" Sam really, really did _not_ like where this was going. She waited feeling a knot forming. "Well, of course _I _haven't been saying so, but many of the wives have heard something disturbing about you husband."

Sam immediately felt protective. "Jack is an amazing man. One of a kind. That's all that matters in the end." She smiled internally knowing Jack would grouch at her about the whole cliché thing.

She almost cringed when Sandy's smile turned predatory. "Samantha, dear, is it true he murdered his child?" Sam felt like she'd been sucker punched. A blazing pain erupted in her chest as every muscle screamed with tension.

She stared disbelievingly at the caricature of a woman sitting across from her. The pain slowly shifted to indignation at the injustice to anger at the pain she could cause Jack by bring this up. Then came the uncontrollable fury that was now snapping in Sam's deadly eyes.

How could someone be so cruel? Sam just stared. Sandy had begun to fidget under her cold gaze. Mrs. Lanthrip suddenly looked up in relief. "Oh there are the boys." Sam slapped her hand on top of Sandy's and hissed angrily, "No." forcing her to look in Sam's eyes. Sandy understood the message, loud and clear. 'How dare you. Mouth shut.'

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Jack stood swallowing the last of his Guinness and shook Tom's hand. He could definitely like this guy. They set up a meeting and headed back to their table. As soon as he saw her he knew something was very, very wrong. The tension gave her away. Something had happened.

He reached her and she stood to leave. She leaned into his familiar blue jacket, her heart aching for him.

Jack retrieved his truck from the valet and then drove them to a nearby park. He hopped out and opened her door, helping her out. She never liked that before Jack. He didn't do it all the time which she was grateful for. But he always just seemed to know when she needed the extra effort.

They walked in silence. He didn't ask. He lent her his presence knowing she'd talk if she wanted too. He sighed as she leaned into him, pulling his arm around her waist. Whatever she decided, he was hers always. In any shape she needed.

Sam was overwhelmed. She wanted more than anything to keep this from him. He would retreat to that shadowed place and pretend not to be hurt. She couldn't stand to see him go there.

Jack who always stood ready to help her, to defend her if asked, and when needed. He didn't deserve that shit. He was glorious.

Then again who the fuck cared what the gossip circuit thought. They were busybodies who didn't know anything. //Sandy my ass,// She was angry, yes, But Sam also knew that they weren't worth the effort. There was a truth. A truth they had no right to. A truth that couldn't change.

Except he would always think of it as his fault. The head demon out of many.

That made her sad.

Her stubborn nature chose that moment to kick in. Fuck Sandy.

She was with Jack right now. She wouldn't waste their precious time on those vindictive women anymore.

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He felt the change immediately. She turned and faced him, her eyes glowing brightly with a fierce possession that slammed his gut so hard he almost took half a step back.

She grabbed his lapels and yanked, bringing their bodies into full contact. Sam smiled against his lips, thrilled to the core that he always seemed ready for her.

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They lay gasping and crying on the balcony of their house as Jack rocked over her, slamming her into oblivion. She arched and screamed, uncaring that she awoke most of their neighbors. Her hands clenched his short silver hair and tugged sharply, pushing him over. Sam nearly went off again at the purely rough and primal roar spilling from his parted lips.

God.

Jack rested his damp forehead on her chest, and looked up at her with half closed eyes a look of total shock and love.

She did the logical thing. She started to laugh. Hysterically. Jack raised up a bit and looked at the balcony. He suddenly leapt to his feet naked, scarred, and bruised, except for the tie dangling around his neck. She laughed harder.

"Carter!?"

Sam gasped for air. "Yes Jack?"

He looked around slowly. "Wasn't there a bit of furniture out here?"

Sam snorted and choked out "Yes Jack."

"Uh, this may be a stupid question," He paused scanning the balcony. "...But uhm, where is it?" He asked slowly in disbelief. Sam lost it completely. Jack looked around incredulously and peeked over the rail.

"Oh shit, Carter."

She giggled through her words. "Oh shit, what, Sir?"

Jack collapsed against the rail, struggling not to fall as he roared with laughter. "I guess I'm getting a new truck tomorrow." He was clutching his aching stomach.

"Carter?"

She looked at him affectionately. "Yeah?"

Jack gulped and looked over the side again. "Our clothes are down there too."

She smiled provocatively. "Jack?"

He looked over with a half grin. "Yeah?"

"You won't any need clothes."

Sweet.


End file.
